May 25, 1857.] UNITED STATES -GEOGRAPHICAL PROGRESS. 463 



for 1854 of the progress of the department tinder his very able 

 guidance. This great work has been so often mentioned with 

 praise in former Addresses from this chair, that it is unnecessary 

 for me to do more than direct the attention of all geographers to 

 the continued activity and effective practical efforts of Professor 

 Bache and his assistants. 



The report on the United States Coast Survey for 1855, has, I 

 regret to say, not yet been received. I hope, however, at our next 

 Anniversary, to be enabled to do full justice to the advances in this 

 department, and the other branches of geographical science which 

 are in progress in the United States. 



The eighth volume of the excellent ' Contributions to Knowledge * 

 published by the Smithsonian Society has been received, and com- 

 prises most valuable papers by Mr. S. F. Haven, Professor 01m- 

 stead, Major Alvord, Dr. Jones, and Mr. Torce, to which I beg par- 

 ticularly to refer. 



The American Geographical and Statistical Society — established 

 at New York in 1854, under the presidency of the celebrated histo- 

 rian Bancroft — has now become a numerous and important body. 

 I refer with gratification to one of the pamphlets which this Society 

 has recently published, entitled ' A Report on Eecent Discoveries 

 in Sub-Oceanic Geography.' Eeferring to the data gathered by 

 our Associate, Lieutenant Maury, in the Hydrographical Department 

 at Washington, this Report as put forth by Mr. W. H. C. Waddell, 

 U.S.N., points to the observations of Commander Eodgers, on the 

 temperature and specific gravity of the waters of the Arctic 

 Ocean at various depths ; showing that near the surface the water 

 is warm and light, at mid-depths cold, and at the bottom warm and 

 heavy. This discovery, it is infeiTed, furnishes the only link that 

 seems to have been wanting to complete by facts, the theory of 

 open water in a really polar sea, as originally suggested by General 

 Sabine, and as since supported by De Haven, Kane, and other 

 Arctic voyagers. 



Then, again, the deep-sea soundings of Lieutenant Brookes de- 

 monstrate that the most profound repose prevails at vast depths, 

 the bottom being found to be of a down-like softness, and composed 

 in most parts of the skeletons and casts of microscopic shells and 

 infusoria.* 



* The details of the zoological results afforded by these operations between 

 America and England, as conducted by Lieutenant Berryman, are reserved for 

 future publication. 



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